Norman Britain, 1066-1300

Why did the Normans conquer England?

The Norman Conquest, 1066
-final years of Anglo-Saxon history dominated by problem of the succession of Edward the Confessor
-penultimate Anglo-Saxon king of England, Edward, in fact grew up in exile in Normandy

-Why? Edward the Martyr
-power struggles => fled to Normandy, came back in 1041
-duchy of Normandy: feudal duchy of France
-originally, Viking chief Rollo was given the territories by the king of West Franks

-Edward, however, refused to produce a child, later became known as the Confessor and was made saint
-Normans => Norsemen
-built churches, cathedrals
-centre of colonial movement

-two claimants to the throne: Harold & William
-when Edward died childless, Godwin's son Harold claimed that Edward had promised him the crown on his deathbed

-another contender to the English throne; William, Duke of Normandy, the great-nephew of Emma, the mother of Edward the Confessor
-he also claimed that Edward had promised him the throne
-by some seen as true heir, but was illegimate child

King Harold I: when Harold was crowned king after Edward's death, William built ships and gathered an army to invade England

-threat of another invasion: King Harald of Norway together with Harold's brother Tostig tried to claim England back for the Norsemen
- Norwegian army defeated by King Harold against Harald

-battle of Hastings on 14th October 1066
-1066 engraved on modern English consciousness like no other event in history
-Europes best infantry and two-handed battle-axes

-tactical advantage: battle on a hill: English downhill, Normans uphill
!King Harold killed, probably hit by an arrow (through the eye? Bayeux tapestry)

Bayeux tapestry:
-needle work 17m x 50cm
-events which lead to Norman Conquest
-by William's half-brother

William I takes power:
-winning one battle (Hastings) did not mean conquering entire island
-consolidation of victory: brought many young nobles, who wanted to fight for their lands
-occupied territories, frightened population

-William I: crowned at Westminster Abbey on Christmas Day 1066
-3 king year: Edward the Confessor, King Harold, William I

Describe the impact of the Norman Conquest on the British Isles.

-victory of the Normans in 1066: brought revolutionary changes, first for the south of Britain, but later for the rest of the British Isles
-probably no other conquest in European history has had such disatrous consequences for the defeated (A-S elite)

-colonial character of society is obvious (Anglo-Saxons as second-class status, Normans invaded and claimed territories)
-result of the NC: two-class society
!clearly separated, nearly no intermarriages

The Domesday Book, 1086:
-shows basic outline of the English economy, charts its resources
-lists seemed so complete reminded people of last judgement

-Domesday book essential for the new king: documents that showed how rich his tenants were would be immensely valuable to him
-only 40% free men
-gave money to get king's land, ressources, goodwill

England & Normandy:
-once two seperate states, now became a single cross-Channel political community with a single Anglo-Norman aristocracy with the king as its leader

-Normandy still duchy to France, was ruled by duke who swore his oath to French king
=>England subordinate: inferior to France

the rise of Feudalism:
-William: effective way of dividing and controlling the country
-king owned all land, divided it into "fiefs"
-"fiefs" given to men who fought for his side

-these men governed king's land
-in return: lords/barons owed service to king => mostly military services
-could not become strong&independent
=> no threat for king + standing military

What happened to the English language?

-French loan words
-with the Norman-French of the Normans, influences from Romance languages entered English
-the well-educated Englishman was trilingual (Eng+Fr+La)

-Norman conquest created a French-speaking Elite
-the class distinction shows in animals being given the Anglo-Saxon names, while their meat is called by Norman French name

- cow & beef (from boeuf), pig & pork (porc) , sheep & mutton (mouton), chicken & poultry (poulet), calf & veal (veau)
=> !intermingling of languaged brought Middle English!

context: England in the 12th cent.
-early 12th: Viking impulse waned, Scandinavians had largely adopted Christianity, less migration
-but! history written by monks (view on wars & religion one-sided)

late 12th: - British Issles formed part of a wider empire which also included Aquitaine
- even king of Scotland paid homage to English king

castle, church & borough:
-instruments of empire
-Castle: exemplified the realities of local power, function to overawe a subject population
-it's estimated that the Normans built ca. one thousand castles in England alone

-emphasis on spectacular buildings
-castles were new invention by Normans
-Church: to support Norman claims: local, hereditary priesthood replaced by a celibate clergy, more churches built
-rural areas had better access to religion
-Normanisation also through monastic order

-Borough: as third element in colonial structure: new towns were established
-attraction of towns: controllable markets
-manor: most characteristic institution of medieval economy and society

Education: -centralised country with plenty of bureaucracy needed many more people who could read and write (growing literacy => increased business through letters)
-huge proliferation of records

-some schools of higher learning in England by the late 12th century
-by the 1220s two universities had been established: Oxford and Cambridge

Economy: late 13th century economy: much of England's import-export business handled by foreigners (Italians, Flemings etc.)
-major industries remained the same ones throughout the period
-Eng far less-advanced than Flanders & Italy, largely stagnant economy

London: -already in 1330s, Henry I granted Londoners the right to choose their own sheriff, major and justice without interference from the Crown
-City never in awe of the Crown, loans and gifts to the Crown as key to urban autonomy

'Scotland', 'Wales', 'Ireland': still very much a geographical expression at the end of 11th century
-Ireland: Norman Kings of England made no attempt to cross the Celtic sea
-Scotland: rich mix of ethic groups (Gales, Picts, Normans, English) => many lordships

-Norman conquest of Wales: Flemish and English colonists, by the eraly 14th century much of the best land in Wales occupied by the Normans and their tenants

What is meant by "Norman Yoke"?

Historians on the Norman Conquest:
-tendency among the historians: "domestication" of the Norman conquest: centralised state fundament
-saw Norman Conquest as greatest disaster in English history: cruel, greedy conquerers

-conquerers oppressed Anglo-Saxons
-"Norman Yoke": negative view in literature of Norman Conquest
=> focus on oppressive aspects of feudalism under William the Conquerer, his retainers and their descendants

Magna Carta 1215:
-1202 King John had to give all Continental dominions to the King of France (John "Lackland"=> unpopular, "worst king ever")
-1215: John forced by influential, rebelling aristocrats to sign a document

-document: granted free men justice and fair trial, king had to obey the law now, limitation of feudal payments to Crown, implemented by council of 25 barons

-1258: "Provisions of Oxford": barony initiated a far-reaching programme of reform, more participation
-13th century: first occurence of the Parliment as assembly of magnates: king's need for taxation (under Henry III)

English Monarchs:
-William the Conqueror (1066-1087) aka William I aka William the Bastard
-on his death bed divided his lands between his two sons, whereas Robert got Normandy, William Rufus got England

-Williams burial was a disaster:
-fire in church
-grave too narrow
-tomb burst open
=> stench of cadaver

Henry II (1154-1189):
-beginning of 'Plantagenet'-era, dynasty tool its name from the 'Planta Genesta'
-Plantagenets would rule England for 331 years
-son: Richard Lionheart

-Henry II: one of the most successful monarchs in English history, ruled not only England, but 2/3 France: also Duke of Normandy, Count of Anjou & Duke of Aquitaine, thus England only part of his empire

-Edward I (1272-1307):
-conquest of Wales successfully completed
-not the first king to fight the Welsh, but carried it to new extremes, brutal military occupation

-Scotland: ancient monarchy, its king intermarried with English royal house, Edward started war, successful
=> removed their 'Stone of Scone' (for 400 years Sc. kings had been crowned on it)